Touch of Deception

TEN

Knowing that the stalker was still out there freaks the hell out of her. She was tempted to ask Clarent to change he4 shift but she doesn't have any vacant time aside from her evening schedule. Though she only has to work thrice a week, knowing that the stalker was someone from inside the school made her even more freaked out. She could still remember that time he attempted to go inside the elevator with her. And she couldn't help but think of what could have happened if he managed to get in. She couldn't sleep at night as she thought about it. 

She sighed and flipped her book to the next page. Their history professor has given them a ten-page reading assignment. She never liked history. Even when she was still in high school as she can remember. Some things don't change. Math was better but she wasn't good at it either.

She looked at her watch and finds it's already almost her shift. She went to work an hour early to study inside the locker room. She doesn't feel comfortable studying inside the campus. Not after what happened yesterday.  

She fixed her things and went to change. Gail said to text her if she's almost done and they could walk home together since Gail's class will be done at nine. She was thankful for it. And she's so glad to have a reliable roommate. 

Sometimes she couldn't help but wonder what would happen if Gail finds out the truth. Or rather the true question is: will she be able to tell Gail her past? The past she's trying to bury? The past that made her go to this city? She doesn't think she will be able to do it. She's not strong enough to say it. At least not yet. 

Before, when the news broke out that she got raped, she was isolated. Or rather, she isolated herself. It wasn't easy. People look at her with pity in their eyes. Some looked at her with disgust. The thing with rumors is that...it has a lot of versions from different mouths. She isn't entirely sure how one simple news could be interpreted in so many ways. She was raped. But people liked it better to say 'She got what she wanted.' And it was never what she wanted. Who wants to be raped? Some people would say 'She was on drugs that's why it happened' or 'She was so shy that's why when she got out, it overwhelmed her and she didn't know how to stop' and her all-time favorite 'She was pregnant prior and asked to be raped so it wouldn't seem like it wasn't her decision to get pregnant at all.' 

People like to draw their conclusions on things they don't quite understand. But what couldn't they understand from the sentence 'She got raped?' It happened not because she wanted it. It happened not because she was on drugs. It happened not because she wasn't able to control herself. It happened not because she wants a reason to explain why she was allegedly pregnant. It happened because there are people in this world who are too cruel. There are people who make it so easy to destroy a person's life. There are bad people who only think about themselves and not about others. It happened because there are horrible people out there who are not blamed for their wrongdoings because people are too busy blaming the victims. There are people out there who don't hesitate to take people's lives on their hands. Just like what they did to her. It's been over a year and she still dreams about it. She still gets flashbacks about it. And it sucked. She never let a day pass without regretting her decision to go to that party. If only she didn't go. 

"Are you alright, Celeste?" 

She was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Neil behind her. 

"What?" she asked. Neil's eyes went to the empty tray she was holding. She looked at it too and realized she had to put it on the counter. "Oh, sorry," she mumbled and immediately place it where it belongs. 

"I was just thinking about something," she explained and went to get to the other tables to clean it. She couldn't help but look at herself in the glass wall. She looks better now compared to what she looked like several months ago. Somehow, there are colors on her cheeks and on her lips. But her eyes...it's dull. Maybe that's why Matt said she looked sad. 

She continued to do her job as the clock ticks. And when it was a quarter past nine in the evening, she saw Gail at one of the chairs, drinking coffee. Gail waved at her and she waved back. Then Gail went to talk to one of the staff. Gail is someone who makes friends easily. She wished she could be like that too.

She sighed as Gail waved at her again. Somehow she felt secured to have someone to walk home. 

"That creepy stalker can try but not without having a taste of my secret weapon, first," Gail whispered and she looked at her questioningly. They were walking down the street back to their apartment.

Gail took out a screwdriver and showed it to her. "I can stab him with this." 

She blinked and when she realized what it was, she giggled and Gail gave her a questioning look. 

"What's funny?" Gail asked, clearly looking offended. But her giggle turned into laughter. 

"I'm sorry. It's just that you were so serious earlier I wondered what your secret weapon was. I didn't expect it to be a screwdriver." She let out another giggle and Gail put the screwdriver back in her bag. 

"Miss Celeste, you shouldn't be laughing at it. You will be bringing it next time when you walk home." 

She stopped laughing and looked at her roommate who was now giving her a smug face. "What?" 

"You heard me. You have to have something sharp to defend yourself. Especially now with that, we didn't get to catch that stalker." 

And now that she thought about it, the other night when she was being followed, she took out a pen. She figured a screwdriver might be a better choice so she extended her hand. "Give it to me," she said. 

It was Gail's turn to giggle as she fished the screwdriver and gave it to her. "I entrust you with the sacred weapon of the Great Gail Hiezel Andreas. From now on, you will wield this weapon with all your heart and strength to protect this Kingdom and her people." 

She rolled her eyes as she stuffed the screwdriver inside her bag. "You're hilarious, Gail." 

"Right?" They stared at each other and burst out laughing. She didn't feel anyone following them. And what she could all think about was the laughter she and Gail had. It was nice and she realized that maybe all she needed indeed was a friend and a good laugh.

* * * 

The next day was quiet. Gail went to school early and left her a note in the fridge saying her breakfast is on the table. She immediately put it in the oven. She looked at their class schedules plastered on the fridge door. Gail's last class is at 10 in the morning.

She texted Gail that she doesn't need to go to fetch her later. 

"I have the sacred weapon." She texted and she got a laughing emoji as a response. She couldn't help but laugh too. 

Her first class for today was Math. And that means she'll be seeing Matt today. It's not like she dreaded the fact. It's just, after the stalker incident, he's been bugging her again about it but she told him it's fine and he stopped. But she had a feeling he only stopped because she said so. She knows he'd been wanting to know more about it. 

Even at math class, she could feel his occasional glances. She was sitting five seats away from him and she didn't even as much glance in his direction. She figured the only way to make him stop is to not mind him. 

Or so she thought. 

"Was your stalker still following you?" In an instant, Matt was walking beside her. She gave him a look before she looked far ahead. 

"You're the one following me now," she replied and she heard him chuckled. 

"Touché."

"And to answer your question, it's no. I think he got scared." 

Matt went silent for a moment that she looked at him. Then he said, "They just don't stop like that. Be careful," he warned before he stepped back. She looked at him, confused, and then she heard a group of guys coming in their direction. Matt just smiled at her before he nodded slightly.

And then she realized another thing. 

Matt noticed her discomfort before. So he stepped back this time to avoid putting her in the spotlight with his friend. 

She didn't stop the small smile that curved her lips. He might be a nuisance sometimes but she realized he's quite a considerate guy.  And what he did earlier was a very thoughtful gesture for her. 

She was thankful for it. 

* * *